What Is a Complete Blood Count and Why Is It Done?
Doctors may want you to get a type of medical test called a complete blood count (CBC) if you’re feeling more tired than usual, seem to have an infection, or have unexplained bruising or bleeding. The CBC is a common blood test that helps doctors get information about the three major types of cells in the blood: • Red blood cells. These are the cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. The CBC measures the number of red blood cells in the body, along with other information about red blood cells, such as amounts of an oxygen-carrying protein called hemoglobin. This information can help doctors test a person for document.write(defanemia81)anemia, which can happen due to loss of blood, or problems with the production or destruction of red blood cells. • White blood cells. These cells help the body fight infection. The CBC measures the number of white blood cells (also called leukocytes) in the blood and also looks at the different types of white blood cells in the bl
